Expert play yields good result.
Bridge Column for April 19, 2002, Harvey Bernstein
Neither Side vulnerable.  East deals.
                              North
                              S: A 8              
                              H: Q 10 8 6    
                              D: A J 4       
                              C: Q 10 8 6 
            West                             East
            S: Q 10 9 4 3 2                  S: 7 5          
            H: 9 5 3                         H: A K J      
            D: 7 5 2                         D: Q 10 8 6          
            C: 4                             C: K 5 3 2     
                              South                         
                              S: K J 6 
                              H: 7 4 2     
                              D: K 9 3     
                              C: A J 9 7  
          The Bidding:  
                   West    North    East    South                 
                                     1D     Pass
                    2S    Double    Pass     3NT
                   Pass    Pass     Pass    
     Thanks to Marty Baff of Beachwood for todays hand.  Studying
hands like this is the best way to understand the thought process
of the expert player.
     After East opens the bidding, Baff, in the South seat, must
pass.  West's two spade bid is a "weak jump shift" showing less
than five points and a weak six card suit.
     North's double is for "take-out", not penalty.  He is
promising tolerance for hearts and clubs and opening values. 
With six or seven points, Baff would bid three clubs, but with
the actual hand, three no trump is the only real option.
     West led the two of diamonds.  The four was played from the
North hand and East played the ten.  Baff won the king.  Assuming
that the king of clubs was in the East hand, Baff could count
eight tricks.  He decided to play hearts first by leading the
deuce.  West followed low and the ten was called for.  East won
the jack and returned a spade.  Baff played low and the nine
forced dummies ace.  Four rounds of clubs clarified the entire
distribution.  Baff knew that East started with two spades, three
hearts, four diamonds and four clubs.
     Baff cashed the king of spades and led a heart.  East was
able to win this trick and one more heart but was then forced to
lead away from the queen on diamonds.  In all, the defense was
limited to three heart tricks.
     Had East been able to look far enough into the hand he would
have won all three of his heart tricks when he was first on lead. 
This would have allowed him to get off lead with a spade and
avoid the diamond end-play.
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Bernstein is a free-lance writer in Solon.